R&D Contracting Directorate, Attn: WL/AAKR, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson AFB

A -- THEATER-WIDE PREFERENCE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT (TRIM) PROGRAM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS IN THREE PARTS. THIS IS PART 1 OF 3 PARTS SOL PRDA 96-09-AAK DUE 061096 POC Contact Alan C. Struckman, Contract Negotiator or Kenneth P. Smith, Contracting Officer, (513) 255-5201. A--NOTICE: This announcement is in three parts. Part 1 of 3 Parts. INTRODUCTION: Theater-wide Reference Information Management (TRIM) Progam PRDA#96-09-AAK. Wright Laboratory (WL/AAKR) is interested in receiving proposals (technical and cost) on the research effort described below. Proposals in response to this PRDA shall be submitted by 10 Jun 96, 1500 hours Daylight Savings Time, to WL/AAKR Bldg 7, (Attn: Alan Struckman), 2530 C Street, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7607. This is an unrestricted solicitation. Small businesses are encouraged to propose on all or any part of this solicitation. Proposals submitted shall be in accordance with this announcement. Proposal receipt after the cutoff date and time specified herein shall be treated in accordance with restrictions of FAR 52.215-10, copy of this provision may be obtained from the contracting point of contact. There will be no other solicitation issued in regard to this requirement. Offerors should be alert for any PRDA amendments that may be published. This PRDA may be amended to allow subsequent submission of proposal dates. Offerors should request a copy of the November 1992 WL Guide entitled, ''PRDA and BAA Guide for Industry''. This guide was specifically designed to assist offerors in understanding the PRDA/BAA proposal process. Copies may be requested from Mr. Struckman (WL/AAKR), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7607, telephone (513) 255-2902. This guide is also available on the Internet at the following address: http://www.wl.wpafb.af.mil/contract/prdag.htm. Any contract resulting from this PRDA will be formatted in accordance with the Research and Development Streamlined Contracting Procedures described in DFARS 235.70. B--REQUIREMENTS: (1) BACKGROUND: Future military operational concepts emphasize the use of multi-platform operations and the sharing of resources within the theater of operations. This capability would allow many more aircraft access to military critical data from expensive national and theater resources. However, before concepts for sharing information from such resources are feasible, many technical issues must be resolved. Of particular interest and technical challenge are issues related to the processing and sharing of reference systems information among platforms in theater and among sensors and weapons on-board the aircraft. Aircraft reference systems determine and extrapolate the state vector for both the aircraft as a whole and for selected critical locations on the aircraft. These state vectors usually include position, velocity, attitude, and time as well as their higher order derivatives. The reference system also performs translation of the state vectors into the most useful coordinate frame needed by each user of that information. In the future this information will be used for fusion of information from multiple, diverse on-board and off-board sensors, sensor management, and sensor to sensor hand-off/cueing as well as the more conventional navigation, flight control, sensor stabilization, motion compensation, pointing, and weapons hand-off uses of today. As future military operational concepts employ information fusion and sharing of resources within the theater of operations, data accuracy and timing requirements become more stringent. In addition, static misalignments are compounded by misalignments occurring in flight due to today's more flexible airframes, fuel distribution, and weapon loading. Previous Wright Laboratory efforts have focused primarily on a single aircraft carrying mission sensors and weapons that require state vector information of varying accuracies, data rates, and data latencies to achieve mission requirements. These programs include Dynamically Sensed Mission Sensor Alignment and Integrated Inertial Networks. A preliminary examination of technical issues related to multi-platform operations was performed in Information Management for Theater-wide Reference Systems. These programs highlighted at least four technical areas which require additional technical analysis. The first involves metrics for assessing the quantitative sensitivity of fusion processes to individual mission sensor inaccuracies. Second, there is a need for techniques for selecting the most appropriate coordinate frame/datum for each stage of the fusion process and of ascertaining the numerical accuracies that need to be maintained during transformations (avoiding potential numerical instabilities and error build up with time). The next area pertains to techniques for accurately assessing uncertainty and including it as part of the measurement and sensor management processes. The latter area requires a detailed understanding of the dynamics and mathematics relating mission sensor error uncertainties with the contribution due to the reference systems involved, and the subsequent effect of the fusion algorithms being applied. Finally, the fourth identified requirement is for far more precise reference data (in particular, velocity, attitude, and time) than is currently available to satisfy mission requirements. Data must be accurate and timely on a single maneuvering airframe at separate mission sensor and store locations such as the platform center of gravity, the forward fuselage, and the weapons bays and pylons. The multi-platform environment expands this problem to n-dimensions when the state vector must be valid not only at multiple locations on a single airframe but at multiple locations on multiple platforms within the theater of operations. For the purposes of this effort, mission scenarios of interest are those for which multi-platform operations could play a key role, such as deep interdiction or deep counterair. One example scenario could involve a two ship formation of fighter aircraft performing a deep interdiction mission in which the aircraft are armed with direct attack munitions(s). The formation could be supported by assets such as overhead, U-2R, Tier 2+ or 3-, or E-8 sensor information. This information would be fused with wingman and ownship sensor data to locate, identify, and generate required weapon coordinates and/or weapon seeker templates to engage the target. In addition, some of the listed sensor data would be fused with E-3 data to maintain situational awareness of pertinent threats and friendlies (both airborne and surface based). A second scenario might involve a two ship formation of fighter aircraft performing a counter air mission. This formation could be supported by overhead and E-3 information. This information would be fused with wingman and ownship sensor data to locate, identify, and engage a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) target. In addition, the listed sensor data would be fused to maintain situational awareness of pertinent threats and friendlies (both airborne and surface based). Variations of these scenarios or the involved platforms are possible. For example, emphasis could be placed on reconnaissance platforms or even bombers to address other AF wide needs for theater-wide reference systems technology. Additionally, the Combat Information Division of Wright Laboratory is committed to developing an Information Fusion Testbed to support broad-based research into fusion applications and techniques. The reference systems technologies and evaluation tools developed under this effort will be evaluated for incorporation into this Fusion Testbed so, when practical, new and modified software should adhere to Fusion Testbed standard interfaces and design practices. (2) SCOPE: The objective of this Theater-wide Reference Information Management (TRIM) effort is to identify, develop, and evaluate the reference systems technologies needed to support the theater-wide sharing and fusing of information resources for USAF platforms and missions. These combat information resources include a priori information, real-time and near real-time information from national assets, theater assets, ownship, and wingman mission sensors. The developed technologies will be evaluated using a combination of analysis, experimentation, and simulation. (3) TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: The offeror shall identify, develop, and evaluate the reference systems technologies needed to support the theater-wide sharing and fusing of combat information. Four technical areas which require analysis. End of Part 1 of 3. (0122)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0005 19960502\A-0005.SOL)